Guten Tag – Over to Germany (And hopefully back…)

Sometimes I think about how my blog is less biographical and more “lecturing”, like I’m just shooting out my opinions with no life-event substance. And I regret that some. I don’t want to be a faceless writer, I want you to know who I am and what life looks like from my perspective. I just really want to be able to connect with you.

All that to say, I’m going to Germany! Ha, yeah for reals! Peter, a fellow counselor friend of mine from Trout Lake Camp, has relatives over there who are starting a Bible/English/sports camp. And guess what they need? People who can speak English. I’ve never felt more qualified in my life.

So this Sunday I’m going to hop on a plane, fly over the Big Pond for the first time, and teach the little kinder (that’s children in German, it’s a steep learning curve…) of Germany how to play baseball and say ‘Merica and why I love Jesus. Oh and also how to dance. Apparently kids there don’t like to let loose much. So that should be interesting – a little fist pump here, a little hip shake there.

But what I’m really getting excited about is having the same exhaustion I had when I was a camp counselor. It might sound odd, but what I found was when camp drained me of everything (and as an introvert, I mean everything) it was simpler to see how dependent I really was on God. The screams and questions and tugs of sweet little cherubs all day long left me with nothing but Sweet Jesus I need your rest. It was a terribly wonderful prayer.

I remember at the end of the summer having a strange fear of when I go back home I’ll lose that. And to some degree, I think I did. When I no longer was pouring myself out each day, I bloated spiritually. It’s as if the draining of all we are arms us for the real fight for our souls, and when all seems dandy we let down our weapons. But it’s when all seems dandy the fight rages fiercest.

We need Jesus most when we start to think we need him least.

So Germany, a place way out of my comfort zone (4346 miles out of my comfort zone to be exact), is actually a safe haven for me. It’s sweet, isn’t it? The outskirts of our comfort become sanctuaries in Jesus’ reverse economy.

That being said, I’d really appreciate prayer for Peter and I, the German church we’re working with, and the little ones we’ll get to hang out with. Thanks on thanks on thanks!

And grace upon grace upon grace to you as you wage war against your independence from God. Let out some of the spiritual gas making you a little bloated. Maybe do something you know you can’t do today? Talk to some stranger in only Christian song lyrics (Ha oh man…Is it bad I made myself laugh with this)? Or go run until you faint? Ha, maybe not that.

It could be as simple as asking God to show you why you need him today. Baby steps.